I was asked recently if I had the sermon notes available for my teaching on “Yeshua is LORD”, and I thought it might be helpful to others, so I decided to post it online here.
Yeshua is LORD (Yeshua is YHWH)
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“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Yeshua accursed, and no one can say that Yeshua is LORD except by the Holy Spirit.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:3
“that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua is LORD and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
– Romans 10:9-11
– What does it mean to say that Yeshua is LORD (Kyrios)?
– Kyrios appears about 740 times in the New Testament, usually referring to Yeshua.
– Kyrios is a Greek word which is usually translated as “LORD” or “master” and sometimes translated as God
– Kyrios referred to the head of the household and is a person exercising absolute ownership rights
– based on the Septuagint usage, the designation is intended to assign to Yeshua the Old Testament attributes of God
– at the time that the Septuagint was written, Jews said Adonai in place of Yahweh, which was thus translated into Greek in each instance as kyrios in the Septuagint.
– Some people are denying the Deity of Yeshua
– Today, I hope to put the debate to rest and show that Yeshua is God
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being IN THE FORM OF GOD did not consider it robbery to be EQUAL WITH GOD, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the LIKENESS (hom-oy’-o-ma) of men. And being found in APPEARANCE as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those IN HEAVEN, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Messiah is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.”
– Philippians 2:5-11
– hom-oy’-o-ma means a thing made like something else, a likeness, or similitude, (resemblance) not an exact copy
– He was in the form of God, but He took on the likeness of man
– Ezekiel saw a vision of the Glory of the LORD in the appearance of a man
“And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the APPEARANCE OF A MAN high above it… This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”
– Ezekiel 1:26,28
– Theophany vs Incarnation
– Theophany mean “appearance of a god” and refers to the appearance of a deity to a human
– Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient being who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial.
“Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
– Genesis 32:24-28
“Then the LORD (Yahweh) appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My LORD (Adonai), if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.”
– Genesis 18:1-3
“And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” THEN THE MEN turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”
– Genesis 18:20-23
“Now the TWO ANGELS came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.”
– Genesis 19:1
– Back to Philippians 2
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being IN THE FORM OF GOD did not consider it robbery to be EQUAL WITH GOD, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the LIKENESS of men. And being found in APPEARANCE as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those IN HEAVEN, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yeshua the Messiah is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.”
– Philippians 2:5-11
– in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (10 Commandments)
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
– Exodus 20:2-6
– if Yeshua is not God, then Paul is telling us to commit Idolatry
– “every knee shall bow” Paul is quoting Isaiah 45 and applying it to Yeshua
“Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. “Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath”
– Isaiah 45:21-23
LORD of all
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– Yeshua is not just any lord, HE IS LORD OF ALL!
“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Yeshua the Messiah — HE IS LORD OF ALL”
– Acts 10:36
“If you declare with your mouth, “YESHUA IS LORD,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved… As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same LORD is LORD OF ALL and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
– Romans 10:9,11-13
– Paul is quoting the prophet Joel
“And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD (Yahweh) Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD (Yahweh) has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD (Yahweh) calls.”
– Joel 2:32
– John the Baptist explains that Yeshua comes from heaven and is above all
“HE WHO COMES FROM ABOVE IS ABOVE ALL; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. HE WHO COMES FROM HEAVEN IS ABOVE ALL.”
– John 3:31
“And Yeshua came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
– Matthew 28:18
Yeshua is called God by the Apostles
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“And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My LORD and my God!”
– John 20:28
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and GLORIOUS APPEARING OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR YESHUA THE MESSIAH, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
– Titus 2:11-14
“…Christ came, who is over all, THE ETERNALLY BLESSED GOD. Amen.”
– Romans 9:5
– Were the Apostles correct in calling Yeshua “God”?
GOD WITH US
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– Matthew begins his gospel by showing us that Yeshua is “God with us”
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the LORD through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
– Matthew 1:21-23
“Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
– Isaiah 7:14
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, Prince of Peace.”
– Isaiah 9:6
– Paul explains that God was manifested in the flesh in Yeshua
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”
– 1 Timothy 3:16
Prepare the way of the LORD
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– Mark begins his gospel by showing that Yeshua is the LORD (Yahweh) by connecting His birth to specific prophecies about Yahweh
“The beginning of the gospel of Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’ ”
– Mark 1:1-3
– He is connecting two prophecies in Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.”
– Isaiah 40:3
“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before ME. And the LORD, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.”
– Malachi 3:1
Yeshua is the Creator
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– John begins his gospel by showing us that Yeshua is the Creator
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
– John 1:1-3
– The first verse of the Bible says that God is the creator
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
– Genesis 1:1
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
– John 1:11-14
– Dwelt among us, Shekhinah is the presence or manifestation of God which has descended to “dwell” among humanity. Shekhinah is derived from the Hebrew verb שכן (shkan) The Semitic root means “to settle, inhabit, or dwell”.
– The word for the Tabernacle, mishkan, is a derivative of the same root and is used in the sense of dwelling-place in the Bible
– Shekhinah is connected to the Greek term Parousia, “presence” or “arrival”
– Paul also points to Yeshua as the creator
“and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who CREATED ALL THINGS THROUGH YESHUA THE MESSIAH”
– Ephesians 3:9
“He is the IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, the firstborn over all creation. For BY HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, THAT IN ALL THINGS HE MAY HAVE THE PREEMINENCE. For it pleased the Father that IN HIM ALL THE FULLNESS SHOULD DWELL… For in Him dwells ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY”
– Colossians 1:15-19, 2:9
– Isaiah says there is only one God who created all things
“For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
– Isaiah 45:18
– Psalm 33 personifies the Word of the LORD as the creator
“For the WORD OF THE LORD is right, And all HIS work is done in truth. HE loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the WORD OF THE LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”
– Psalm 33:4-6
Preexistence and eternal Glory of Yeshua
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– Yeshua was with the Father before the World existed
“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the GLORY which I had with You BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.”
– John 17:5
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may BEHOLD MY GLORY which You have given Me; for You loved Me BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”
– John 17:24
– Isaiah says that God does not share His glory with anyone
“I am Yahweh, that is My name; And MY GLORY I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.”
– Isaiah 42:8
“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.”
– Isaiah 48:11
– Ezekiel says that God will set His glory among the nations
“I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward.”
– Ezekiel 39:21-22
– He doesn’t give His glory to another, because the Father and Son are ONE
TWO ARE ONE
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– We see the same thing in the Shema, two LORDs are ONE
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”
– Deuteronomy 6:4
“THAT ALL SHOULD HONOR THE SON JUST AS THEY HONOR THE FATHER. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
– John 5:23
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
– John 14:1
“Then Yeshua cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”
– John 12:44-45
“Yeshua answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
– John 8:19
“I and My Father are ONE.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Yeshua answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, MAKE YOURSELF GOD.”
– John 10:30-33
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “LORD, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Yeshua said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not KNOWN ME, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
– John 14:7-9
THE FIRST AND THE LAST
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– Isaiah mentions two LORDS (the king of Israel and his redeemer) but together they both say “I am the first and the Last, besides me there is no God”
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.”
– Isaiah 44:6
– The book of Revelation applies the title “the first and the last” to Yeshua
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the LORD, “who is and who was and who is to come, THE ALMIGHTY.”
– Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia”
– Revelation 1:11
“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
– Revelation 1:17-18
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,’These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life”
– Revelation 2:8
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
– Revelation 22:12-13
– The “first and the last” is is a title for God
“Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together.”
– Isaiah 48:12-13
YESHUA DOES NOT CHANGE
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“Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
– Hebrews 13:8
“For I am the LORD (Yahweh), I do not change”
– Malachi 3:6
– This speaks about His eternal nature. He was and is and is to come.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the LORD, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
– Revelation 1:8
“The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
– Revelation 4:8
– When God spoke to Moses, He said “I AM” (Ehyah Asher Ehyah), but Moses called Him Yahweh (which means “He is”)
YESHUA IS THE GREAT I AM
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“Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
– Exodus 3:13-14
– the Greek Septuagint says, Ego eimi ho on – “I am The Being”
– Yeshua claims to be “I AM”
“And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”
– John 8:23,24
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Yeshua said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Yeshua hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
– John 8:56-59
“Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Yeshua therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Yeshua of Nazareth.” Yeshua said to them, “I AM.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I AM,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”
– John 18:3-6
– When He said, “I AM” they fell backwards
There is no savior but Yahweh
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– if Yeshua is not Yahweh, then He is not the savior
“For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior… “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I AM HE. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And BESIDES ME THERE IS NO SAVIOR. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the LORD, “that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel…”
– Isaiah 43:3,10-14
“Truly You are God, who hide (conceal) Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!”
– Isaiah 45:15
– what does it mean that He conceals Himself?
“Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
– Isaiah 49:26
“But I have been the LORD your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.”
– Hosea 13:4
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the LORD Yeshua the Messiah,”
– Philippians 3:20
“looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Yeshua the Messiah,”
– Titus 2:13
“Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Yeshua the Messiah, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Yeshua the Messiah”
– 2 Peter 1:1
YAHWEH WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED
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“Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Yeshua and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
– John 19:32-37
– Quoting from Zechariah
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on ME WHOM THEY PIERCED. Yes, they will MOURN FOR HIM as one mourns for his only SON, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a FIRSTBORN.”
– Zechariah 12:10
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church OF GOD WHICH HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.”
– Acts 20:28
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
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“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Messiah Yeshua who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our LORD Yeshua the Messiah’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and LORD OF LORDS, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”
– 1 Timothy 6:13-16
“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is LORD OF LORDS and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
– Revelation 17:14
“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
– Revelation 19:16
“For the LORD your God is God of gods and LORD OF LORDS, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.”
– Deuteronomy 10:17
CONCLUSION
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“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Yeshua accursed, and no one can say that YESHUA IS LORD except by the Holy Spirit.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:3
